Kadri and Matthews took different paths

Nazem Kadri made a good point one day during the Maple Leafs road trip as the media massed to speak to teammate Auston Matthews.

Kadri’s introduction as a highly anticipated first-rounder many years ago was a lot different, a lot more difficult, a combination of his own swagger, the team’s poor internal dynamic and an impatient fan base.

“Playing in this type of market forces you to grow up a little faster than you want to,” Kadri observed. “Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing I’m not sure, but I think Auston has handled it extremely well. He’s certainly a good professional.”

Kadri, who has transitioned to become a better defensive centre, says Matthews has already grasped that.

“It’s super difficult (for a team) to be able to do that and generate scoring chances every game,” he said. “But he generates his owns scoring chances just from being that good. He’s a jack of all trades. He can score and put shots on net. When (opponents) take away his shot, then he’s a threat to pass.”